Earendil and Elwing – The third union of elves and men.

Following is a brief outline for fans of Middle-earth

Tuor and Idril became the leaders of the exiles at the Havens of Sirion where they welcomed the refugees of Doriath led by Elwing, the granddaughter of Beren and Luthien. Elwing had with her the Silmaril which Beren and Luthien had taken from Morgoth.

In the same year that Tuor and Idril departed, Eärendil married Elwing, the third union of Elves and Men. To them were born two twin sons, Elrond and Elros.

When no news came of Tuor and idril, Earendil prepared a ship, Vingilot, and set out to seek them.

News of the existence of the Silmaril came to the sons of Fëanor that were still living, and they attacked the people living in Arvernien, and slew most of them. Their sons Elrond and Elros became captives of the sons of Feanor.

But Elwing, rather than be captured, threw herself with the Silmaril into the sea. The Silmaril was not lost, however:

“For Ulmo bore up Elwing out of the waves, and he gave her the likeness of a great white bird, and upon her breast there shone as a star the Silmaril, as she flew over the water to seek Eärendil her beloved.”

Elwing flew to her beloved Earendil and brought the news of the tragedy that had befallen in Arvernien. Eärendil then sought after Valinor, and he and Elwing found their way there at last.

Eärendil then went before the Valar, and asked them for aid for Men and Elves in Middle-earth, to fight against Morgoth; and the Valar accepted his plea. The following War of Wrath saw the final overthrow of Morgoth.

Because Eärendil had undertaken this errand on behalf of Men and Elves, and not for his own sake, Manwë forbore to deal out the punishment of death that was due; and because both Eärendil and Elwing were descended from a union of Elves and Men, Manwë granted to them and their sons the gift to choose to which race they would be joined (a gift that was further passed to the children of Elrond, who became known as the Half-elven). Elwing chose to be one of the Elves. Eärendil for the sake of his wife also chose to be one of the Elves.

Tuor and Idril – The second union of elves and men.

The following notes are for Fans of Middle-earth.

Tuor was the son of Huor, the brother of Hurin whose son was Turin. Tuor and his cousin Turin would never meet. Tuor’s father and mother, Rian, both perished during the time of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears in which Morgoth’s forces decimated the forces of elves and men. Tuor was fostered by Elves and spent most of his youth as an outlaw and fugitive.

Tuor was chosen by the Vala Ulmo, Lord of Waters to go to the Elf King Turgon in the hidden City of Gondolin and warn him of the inevitable doom to come. Turgon believed his city was secret and well hidden from Morgoth and would never fall.

Tuor became favoured by the king and his people and during his time in Gondolin, Idril, the king’s daughter fell in love with him, and with the Turgon’s blessings they were married. Soon after, they had a son, whose name was Earendil.

Finally Morgoth’s forces came in great numbers and sacked the city and most elves, including Turgon perished.

Tuor and Idril led the survivors by secret ways to The Havens at the mouth of the Sirion River. There Tuor and Idril abided until Earendil reached manhood.

Finally Tuor felt the yearning for the sea and built a great ship. With Idril, they sailed from Middle-earth into the sunset and the West. It is said, that Tuor alone of mortal men was accepted as one of the Elder and lived an immortal life in Valinor.

* For more information go to Tolkien Gateway… … http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tuor * Reading: The Silmarillion - “Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin”. * Unfinished Tales – “Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin”.

Brisbane Tolkien Fellowship will be celebrating Tolkien Reading Day at the following Libraries:

Beren and Luthien

Luthien was the daughter of Thingol, Elven king of Doriath and Melian the Maia. Luthien was revered as the most beautiful of elven maidens.

Beren, a mortal man, son of Barahir, fell in love with Luthien, and she with him.

Together, after many dangerous journeys and incidents they wrested a Silmaril from Morgoth.

However as they were leaving Morgoth’s fortress, Angband, their way was barred by the great wolf, Carcharoth, The Red Maw. Beren held up the Silmaril to protect them, but the wolf bit off his hand and thus consumed the Silmaril. The Silmaril burnt the innards of Carcharoth and drove him crazy with pain and he ran south and went on to terrorise all Beleriand.

Luthien healed Beren and they returned to her father’s kingdom in Doriath. Soon the great wolf came to Doriath and Beren, Thingol, Huan the Hound of Valinor and others went to seek and destroy Carcharoth.

In the ensuing encounter Carcharoth was destroyed by Huan the Hound, but he also died of wounds received. Beren had been mortally wounded as well. The Silmaril was removed from Carcharoth and became an heirloom of Thingol.

Shortly after returning to Thingol’s halls, Beren died and soon after Lúthien too wasted of grief.

Beren’s and Luthien’s spirits were gathered in the Halls of Mandos, and there Lúthien sang a song of such extraordinary power and beauty that it moved even the heart of Mandos.

Luthien was granted a unique fate, to become mortal and return to Middle-earth with Beren, where they dwelt for a time in happiness on the green island of Tol Galen in the River Adurant.

*Read Luthien’s and Beren’s full story and their Quest for the Silmaril in “The Silmarillion” – Chapter “Of Beren and Luthien”

THE FATES OF ELVES AND MEN: Following are brief notes for Tolkien fans.

In the First Age there was a debate between Andreth, a wise woman from the House of Beor, and Finrod Felagund an Elven King. They debated the fates of Elves and Men, of their (hröar and fëar) Body and Soul.

Andreth said the “death was imposed on us” and we live in fear of it, for no matter how strong we are in body and mind it will eventually overtake us.

Fingon pointed out their belief was, that although Elves are immortal, they will only exist to the end of Time. Beyond Time they do not know of their fate.

Although Elves are Immortal their Body can die by accident (e.g. in war) and their Soul goes to The Halls of Mandos, where they live out the rest of Time.

The Gift of Men is death. Among the Elves it is believed that when men die their Soul lives on beyond Time itself and they are not bound to the burdens of Arda and its sorrows, as all other beings are. Thus The Gift of Men was envied, for their fate was to exist beyond Time whereas the Elves knew not of their destinies beyond Time’s ending.

Men with the greatest understanding of their fates treated death as the Gift it was originally intended to be, and when their time came, gladly gave themselves up to it,accepting the Gift at the natural end of their lives and dying peacefully at their own bidding. One such man was Aragorn in the Fourth Age.

FRODO’S FATE:

The passing of Frodo, Bilbo and Sam (and Gimli?) over Sea – Into the West.

Frodo and Bilbo sailed over Sea with The Three Keepers (of the rings) in 1421 SR.

After Rosie’s death, Samwise Gamgee rode to The Havens and took ship over Sea, in 1482 SR.

In 1541 SR after the passing of King Elessar, Legolas built a grey ship and sailed over Sea. It is said Gimli the Dwarf went with him.

The Question arises, what was the fate of these mortals who sailed into The West to Aman, The Blessed Realm, home of the Valar.?

“Frodo was sent or allowed to pass over Sea to heal him – if that could be done, before he died. He would have eventually to ‘pass away’: no mortal could, or can, abide forever on earth or within Time. So he went both to a purgatory and to a reward, for a while: a period of reflection and peace and a gaining of a truer understanding of his position in littleness and in greatness, spent in Time amid the natural beauty of ‘Arda Unmarred’, the Earth unspoiled by evil.

Bilbo went too. No doubt as a completion of the plan due to Gandalf himself … His companionship was really necessary for Frodo’s sake – it is difficult to imagine a hobbit, even one who had been through Frodo’s experiences, being really happy even in an earthly paradise without a companion of his own kind, and Bilbo was the person that Frodo most loved …” The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Letter No. 246

“It was in any case a special grace. An Opportunity for dying according to the original plan for the unfallen: they went to a state in which they could acquire greater knowledge and peace of mind, and being healed of all hurts both of mind and body, could at last surrender themselves: die of free will, even of desire in estel. A thing Aragorn achieved without any such aid.” Morgoth’s Ring, Part 4, Note 4, p 341.

(Note: SR is the numbering of years according to Shire Reckoning – The Ring was destroyed March 25, 3019, which was 1419 SR)